View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE
provided by DigitalCommons@CalPoly
University News & Information
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California
February 1, 2012
Contact: Virginia Anderson 805-756-7505; [email protected]
Terry J. San Filippo 805-756-1216; [email protected]
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly’s Theatre and Dance Department will bring Tennessee Williams’ classic play “A Streetcar Named Desire” to the Spanos Theatre at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 23- 25 and March 1-3.
“A Streetcar Named Desire”is considered a hallmark of the American theater. It follows the gradual unraveling of Blanche DuBois, a Southern belle of days gone by. Blanche’s arrival on the doorstep of her younger sister, Stella, and Stella’s brutish husband, Stanley, marks a collision of worlds: the ideals of the Old South with the pulsing sensuality of 1940s New Orleans.
The play combines poetic fantasy with gritty reality and performed gentility with forceful desire, according to director and Cal Poly Professor Virginia Anderson. “Dark secrets penetrate the household and, savagely confronted with glaring truths, Blanche fiercely fights for emotional survival as she descends into an enduring conflation of memories, torment and madness,” Anderson said. “Our production celebrates the rich cultural heritage the city continues to extend beyond its geographic boundaries. Williams’ poetic piece reflects its New Orleans’ roots through its passionate, violent and often humorous portrayal of humanity, vulnerability and a ferocious determination to persevere despite nature and man’s most vicious cruelty.”
Premiering in 1946, “Streetcar” earned Williams a New York’s Critics Circle Award and a Pulitzer Prize. “The Cal Poly production embraces the play’s prominence in American culture, acknowledging the iconic performances of Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh in the 1951 film as well as the popularity of parodies such as those featured on ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Modern Family,’” Anderson said.
Department chair Tim Dugan designed the sets, faculty member Thomas John Bernard created the costumes, and Peter Hadres from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria served as choreographer. In addition, the production employs almost 40 students from across the Cal Poly campus.
The production contains depictions of violence and brief nudity and is recommended for mature audiences.
Tickets are $15 for the general public, $12 for students, seniors, and Cal Poly faculty and staff members. For tickets, call the Performing Arts Ticket Office at 805-756-2787. # # #
CP Home • CP Find It • Get Adobe Reader • Help Accessing Public Affairs Web Content
Cal Poly News Web • Cal Poly Magazine • Cal Poly Update Public Affairs Office E-newsletter California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 Giving to Cal Poly polynews [at] calpoly.edu